Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, has called on the federal government to enact laws to combat all forms of environmental pollution.
This is as it also called on all industries producing one form of waste or the other to be profession in their waste disposal method and clean up areas they might have already polluted.
NIREC made the call in a statement issued by its Executive Secretary, Prof Cornelius Omonokhua.
The group lamented that Nigeria was experiencing its own fair share of environmental pollution and global warming effects due to pollution and the lack of efforts to control the situation.
Said NIREC: “Our Lands are polluted due to improper or lack of available dump site for domestic wastes, wrongful or excessive use of agro-allied chemicals which are mostly washed down into nearby rivers and streams thus also posing a threat to clean water.
“Our Waters are polluted by direct dumping of refuse in water or water ways thus causing blockage of such water ways which results to flooding and contamination of water. These floods are responsible for loss of lives and property worth millions of naira on annual basis.
“Secondly, crude oil drilling activities from the oil producing states is another aspect of water pollution mostly experienced in the southern part of the country. This involves oil spillage from the crude oil activities carried out in that region. These spillages be it on land or in water are responsible for the death of plants and aquatic animals thus making farming and fishing activities more difficult, ultimately affecting the means of livelihood of the host community. Improper chemical waste disposal by industries is also not left out of this.”
While stressing that the pollution was already taking its toll on the environment, the group called on Nigerian citizenry to be true nationalist by avoiding acts that could be inimical to the environment.
